Chelsea Clinton says being a mom has given her new perspective on her own mother, Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
“I didn’t know that I could love and admire and respect my mom any more, until I became a mom. And [I] couldn’t believe any more in her as the right leader for the country I want my daughter to grow up in,” she told Ellen DeGeneres on Thursday.
Chelsea, now 35, went on to say that her mother “keeps going because there’s so much unfinished business to ensure that every little girl and every little boy has the chance to live up to their God-given potential.”
Asked what she thought about her mom’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live” last week, in which the former Secretary of State played a bartender offering advice to Kate McKinnon‘s Hillary Clinton, Chelsea said, “I think my mom is really funny. And I’m grateful that America is seeing more of that!” Chelsea said. “I won the mom jackpot.”
As for her own political ambitions, Chelsea stated, “Well, I don’t know. The first time that someone asked me whether I would have a political career I think I was about 3. And my dad was running for Governor of Arkansas, he was running for re-election. And we were at a campaign event and I was standing off to the side waving a flag because when you’re three that’s kind of what you can contribute. And this woman came up to me and said, ‘Ya know, Chelsea, do you want to be the Governor of Arkansas some day?’”
Chelsea Clinton didn’t rule out a possible bid for public office. “Now that I’m at a different point in my life I do believe there are many ways to serve,” she said. “I’m really lucky to live in a city and a state and a country where I support the people representing me. I have a couple fantastic senators and I have a great representative in New York City if at some point that weren’t true I’d have to ask and answer that question, but Ellen I’d hope you’d ask and answer that question too.”
Watch part of Chelsea Clinton’s interview with DeGeneres here.
The interview airs Thursday October 8.